Brittney Griner Sends Clear Two-Word Message About Dreams’ WNBA Championship Hopes

In some respects, it’s already been an unprecedented season for the Atlanta Dream.

At 29-14 entering the final game of the regular season, the Dream have shattered their previous record of 23 regular-season wins set back in 2014. But they’ve got their sights set on something bigger — capturing the franchise’s first WNBA Championship.

“Everybody’s ready,” center Brittney Griner confidently affirmed following an 87-62 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Monday night.

It marked Atlanta’s fifth consecutive win, jumping ahead of the Las Vegas Aces for second place in the league standings. The Dream and Aces have seesawed back and forth between second and third over the last few weeks, Atlanta keeping pace despite a blistering 14-game winning streak for Las Vegas.

Still, it’s the Aces who have a clearer path to the No. 2 seed, clinching the tiebreaker over the Dream with a pair of late-August victories. Atlanta is guaranteed a top-three seed after Monday’s triumph, but the No. 2 seed is only in play if Las Vegas drops one of their last two games.

Not that they should be overly concerned about seeding. The Dream’s .762 winning percentage since the All-Star break trails only Las Vegas for the league lead, boasting the second-best scoring defense in the WNBA in that span.

Griner’s assessment isn’t just lip service. The Dream have the makings of a legitimate championship contender.

Fully Healthy Dream Built for Deep Playoff Run

Atlanta has not escaped the league-wide injury bug, with All-Star guard Rhyne Howard and defensive stalwart Jordin Canada both missing upwards of 10 games throughout the regular season. But as the Dream prepare to enter the postseason, it would appear their injury luck is finally turning around.

“It’s definitely nice to be going into the playoffs and everybody’s available to play,” first-year head coach Karl Smesko acknowledged. “I think that’s a huge advantage. It seems like there’s a couple teams that have struggled with injuries all year, and now they’re getting everybody back at the right time.”

The Dream would certainly fall into that camp. Monday’s clash with Connecticut marked just the third time since the All-Star break that Atlanta’s three best guards — Howard, Canada, and Allisha Gray — were all listed active. Moreover, it’s just the 15th contest that the talented backcourt trio have played together this season.

Atlanta deserves plenty of credit for their second-half success in spite of mounting injuries, but it’s the prospect of a fully loaded squad that fuels championship aspirations.

“When you get into the Finals, every single time, it’s always that extra player that you’re not thinking of. It’s always that sixth, seventh player, and I think we have that, honestly,” Griner explained. “From starting five to everybody on that bench, we’re ready to come in and do what we need to do.”

A champion at virtually every level, Griner’s appraisal carries some weight.

As a junior in college, Griner led the 2012 Baylor Bears to a perfect 40-0 season, posting 26 points, 13 rebounds, and five blocks in the national championship. Two years later, Griner helped Diana Taurasi secure her third and final WNBA title, averaging 16.7 points and 3.4 blocks for a 2014 Phoenix Mercury squad that swept the Chicago Sky in the Finals. And lest we forget the cherry on top, three gold medals for Team USA in the Olympics.

On paper, Atlanta has the roster to navigate through a grueling postseason. Headlined by a trifecta of All-Stars in Howard, Gray, and 6-foot-3 forward Brionna Jones, the Dream also boast a more-than-capable ensemble.

Canada has the makeup of a postseason x-factor, ranking third in the WNBA with 1.7 steals per game while contributing 11.7 PPG on the other end. Meanwhile, Griner, Naz Hillmon, Maya Caldwell, and Te-Hina PaoPao have all logged significant minutes in the starting lineup, giving Smesko a variety of potential lineup combinations heading into the postseason.

It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a Coach of the Year candidate in Smesko, who just set a WNBA record for most wins as a first-year head coach.

“Coach has done an amazing job on challenging each and every one of us,” added Griner. “He really focuses on getting better himself, and you can see it. When you got a coach like that, we all ready to go play for him.”

A daunting playoff field awaits, but the Dream have that coveted blend of top-end talent and steady depth that tends to make magic happen in October.

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